Lifter

Abstract

A device for lifting and positioning a heavy object, comprising a base, a pair of arcuate arm moving rack gears, a pair of arms rotatively affixed to the arcuate rack gears, a pair of arm moving pinion gears fixed to an axle rotatively affixed to each arm and in mechanical engagement with one of the pair of arcuate arm moving rack gears adapted when rotated to move the pair of arms up and down, a foot device rotatively affixed to the pair of arms, a foot pinion gear fixed to an axle rotatively fixed to the pair of arms and fixedly attached to the foot to rotate the foot when the foot pinion gear is rotated, a foot control pinion gear fixedly attached to the base, an elongated member having a rack gear on both of its terminal portions, one of such rack gears in mechanical engagement with the foot pinion gear and the other elongated member rack gear in mechanical engagement with the foot control pinion gear so that when the arm moving pinion gears rotate they cause not only the arm to move up and down but also cause the rack gear of the elongated member in engagement with the foot to linearly move the elongated member rack gear in engagement with the foot control pinion gear and to thus rotate the foot pinion gear to maintain the foot stable and essentially horizontal as the pair of arms are moved from the horizontal to the vertical position and points in between.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A device for lifting and positioning heavy objects comprising: (a) a frame;   (b) an arm moving rack gear disposed on the frame;   (c) an arm having first and second terminal portions the first terminal portion rotatively affixed to the arm moving rack gear or the frame;   (d) an arm moving pinion gear rotatively affixed to the arm's first terminal portion in mechanical engagement with the arm moving rack gear adapted to move the arm from a lateral to an upstanding position and from the upstanding to the lateral position upon rotation of the arm moving pinion gear in a predetermined direction;   (e) a foot device rotatively affixed to the arm's second terminal portion;   (f) a foot pinion gear rotatively affixed to the second terminal portion of the arm and fixedly attached to the foot adapted to rotate the foot when the second pinion gear is rotated;   (g) a foot control pinion gear non-rotatively attached to the frame; and,   (h) an elongated member having first and second terminal portions, both of which include a rack gear, the rack gear of the first terminal portion of the elongated member being mechanically engaged with the foot control pinion gear and the rack gear of the second terminal portion of the elongated member being mechanically engaged with the foot pinion gear so that when the arm moving pinion gear rotates and moves the arm, the rack gear on the first terminal portion of the elongated member pushes the elongated member towards the foot, thereby causing the rack gear on the second terminal portion of the elongated member to rotate the foot pinion gear and the foot and to maintain the foot essentially stable and horizontal regardless of the position of the arm.   
     
     
       2. The device of claim 1 further including a slot in the arm and at least a portion of the elongated member slidably received in the slot. 
     
     
       3. The device of claim 1 further including a first axle rotatively attached to the arm upon which a pair of spaced apart arm moving pinion gears are fixedly attached. 
     
     
       4. The device of claim 3 wherein the arm is composed of a pair of spaced apart members and the first axle is disposed between and rotatively fixed to the spaced apart members. 
     
     
       5. The device of claim 4 further including a second axle disposed between and rotatively affixed to the pair of spaced apart arms and to which the foot pinion gear is affixed. 
     
     
       6. The device of claim 1 further including a motor and a drive device, the drive device affixed to and adapted to rotate the first axle and the motor affixed to the drive device and adapted to rotate same. 
     
     
       7. The device of claim 1 wherein the frame is composed of an upstanding and a lateral portion. 
     
     
       8. The device of claim 1 wherein the arm moving rack gear is arcuate in shape. 
     
     
       9. The device of claim 8 wherein the arm moving rack gear is disposed between the frame's upstanding and lateral portions. 
     
     
       10. The device of claim 1 wherein the arm moving rack gear is a pair of spaced apart arcuate shaped rack gears, the arm moving pinion gear is a pair of pinion gears each member of the pair in mechanical engagement with one member of the pair of arm moving rack gears, and the arm is a pair of spaced apart members at least one of which contains a slot therein in which at least a portion of the elongated member is slideably received. 
     
     
       11. The device of claim 1 wherein the foot device contains a cross member in which there is a cavity and at least one extension member, a portion of which is "T? shaped, the upstanding portion of the "T? shaped extension member slideably received in the cavity of the cross member.